Cake-cutting machine.



E. S. GABRIEL L DE OTlS LOMBARD.

CAKE CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION msn MAR.19. 1914.

Li. Ptend 31111619, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l` i@ASML @L DE ons LOMBARD.

CAKE CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLrcATmN FILED MAR..19. :9m

Patented June L9, 19V?.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2d .AY gli E. S. GABRIEL L DE OTES LOMBARD.

CAKE CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 1111111.19,1914.

23@28 mam Jun@ 19, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3,

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EARL S.l GABRIEL DE QTIS LQMBARD, 0F INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.; SAID LOMBRD ASSIGNOR TO SAID GABRIEL.

CAKE-CUTTING momma.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented June 19, 191.7.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, EARL S. GABRIEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at 1ndianapolis, Marion county, and State of Indiana, and DE OTIS LOMBARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, Marion county, and State of Indiana, have invented and discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Cake-Cutting Machines, of which the following is a speciiication.

Our invention relates to cake cutting machines and its object is to provide a machine capable of effecting a two-way cutting operation on the sheet of dough forv the purpose of forming rectangular blocks of square or oblong shape; to provide means in such a machine for separately and alternately operating the two sets of cutters; to provide for holding the material stationary while the transverse cutter is operating; to provide means for preventing adherence of the material to the cutters; to provide for adjusting the machine to form blocks of dili'erent len hs, and to generally improve a machineo this class.

With these ends in view our invention is embodied in preferable form in the machine hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. l

In these drawings, Figure 1 is a side view in elevation of the machine, partly broken away' Fig. 2, a top plan view; Fig. 3, an enlarged elevation taken from the opposlte side of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a longitudinal section on the line 1 4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5, a section on the line 5 5 of Figs. 3 and 4; Fig. 6, a section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5; Fig. 7, a section on the line 7 7 of Figs. 4 and 6; Fig.. 8, a section on the line 8 8 of Fig. 7; Fig. 9, a section on the line 9 9 of Figs. 7 and 8; Fig. 10, a cross section through the trough at the d eliveryyend of the machine; Fig. 11, a detail perspective of a part of the trough Aand its support; Fig. 12, a detail perspective of one of the sheet guiding members; Fig. 13, a detail perspective of one of the scrapers for the longitudinal cutters; and Fig. 14, a detail section of a gage, and Fig. 15, an enlar ed detail side view of the adjusting means or ratchet means.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the frame of the machine. 1n side arms of the machine at the receiving end thereof are mounted adjustable tightening blocks 2, in

which is mounted a driving roller 3 over which passes an endless conveying apron 4, which also passes over a similar driving roller 5 near the opposite end of the machine. This apron is adapted to receive the sheet of dough to be cut at the right hand end of the machine, looking at Fig. 1, and 1t is adapted to be driven by an intermittent movement so as to carry the sheet by a stepby-step action toward the cutters, each step conveying the sheet a predetermined distance equal to the length of the block to be formed.

On the shaft of the rear roller 5 at one end thereof is ixed a ratchet wheel 6. This wheel is intermittently turned by a ratchet pawl 7, carried at one end of a lever 8 which is plvoted on the shaft of the roller 5. To the lower end of this lever arm is pivoted the rear end of a -link 9, the other end of which is pivoted to a lug l0 which is mounted on a vertical screw 11. The screw 11 serves as a means to adjust the lug to different vertical positions for the purpose of regulatmg the throw of the link 9 and it is mounted 1n the upper and lower ends of an oscillatory arm 12 which is pivoted at 13 to the frame of the machine.

The screw 11 is fixed against vertical movement by a pin 14 and hence when it is turned the lug 10 is caused to travel thereon. A wing-nut 15, serves to lock the screw to the arm 12.

A second vert-ical screw 16 is mounted in the arm 12 and is likewise liXed against vertival movement. On this screw is mounted a lug 16 to which is pivoted a' pitman 17. The other end of this pitman is connected to an eccentric 18 which is carried by a main shaft 19, on which is mounted a driving pulley 20.

By means of the two screws 11 and 16 and the link and pitman respectively connected thereto, la double adjustment between the arm 12 and lever 8 may be obtained, whereby a short arm 12 may beused instead of the much longer arm that would be required if only a single adjustable connection were provided.

The sheet of material is fed forward on the apron toward the main shaft. On this shaft is mounted a series of rotary cutters 21 which are held apart by spacing collars 22. The shaft is held in blocks 24 which are mounted within guideways formed in vertical brackets 25 projecting upwardly from the frame of the machine and the blocks are yieldingly supported in these brackets by means of springs 26 and are pressed downwardly by adjustable thumb screws 27. A hinged hood 28 extends over the top of each bracket and is held in place by a wing nut 29. By releasing and throwing back these hoods the shaft and its blocks may be readily withdrawn for the purpose of substituting new cutters or spacing collars of greater or less width for the purpose of varying the width of the blocks to be cut. These cutters are adapted to impart the longitudinal cuts to the sheet of dough and are adapted to be .operated while the apron is moving and to this end a gear wheel 29 is mounted on one end of the shaft carrying the cutters and this gear wheel meshes with a wheel 30 on a stub shaft 31which carries a sprocket wheel 32 driven by a sprocket chain 33 which is driven from a sprocket wheel 34 on the shaft of the roller 5 so that when the ratchet wheel 6 is turned, the sprocket wheel 34 will be likewise-turned and the rotary cutters operated to cut into the material with a revolving cut as the dough is fed along.

Adapted to coperate with the rotary cutters is a transverse cutter which is adapted to extend across the apron and iilnpart a single transverse out to the sheet of dough at eachoperation thereof, thus se ving to divide the sheet into rectangular blocks. This transverse cutter consists of a single blade 35 secured to a vertical slidable bar 36 mounted in guideways in vertical brackets 37. A return spring 38 is mounted in the bracket between a base 39 and the lower face of the sliding bar, whereby after the bar has been forced downwardly to effect the cut, the spring will return the knife to its normal raised position. At each end onv its upper side in the bar 36 are mounted loose rollers 40 against which are adapted to be forced cams 41 which are liXed on a shaft 42. The shaft 42 is connected ,to a slotted link 43 into the slot of which projects a pin of a link 44 which is pivoted at its rear end to a crank 45 carried by the main shaft. This crank is so mounted as to be operated during the intervals between the movements of the apron and hence while both the apron and the rotary longitudinally cutting members are stationary, thus providing that the transverse cutter will act upon the sheet of dough while the same is also stationary so as to insure a straight cut at the eXact predetermined point and avoid the liability of the sheet of dough being carried by the apron or the friction of the rotary cutters beyond the line at which the transverse cutter should enter the dough.

The shaft of the cams is mounted in vertically' adjustable blocks 46 which are mounted yieldngly in adjusted position by means of springs 46 interposed' between these blocks and cross pieces 47 of the vertical bracket. These sliding blocks are adapted to be adjusted vertically so as to increase or lessen the pressure of the cams against the roller of the knife bar, by means of a set screw 48 projecting through each of the vertical brackets. v

The transverse knife projects downwardly between two Scrapers 49 which extend angularly to the knife and are disposed on opposite sides thereof and ,are adapted to be pressed closely against the sides of the knife. Each of'these Scrapers is provided with a slot 50 through which projects a stud 5l carried by a transversely extending plate 52. This pin and slot connection permits the scraper members to slide relatively to the plates. Each of the scraper members is provided with a lug 53 in which is fixed the lower end of a rod 54, theupper end of which extends freely through a flange 55, projecting from the upper. edge of the plate 52. A pressure spring 56 is mounted on this rod between the lugs 53 and 55, a series of these rods and springs being provided along the transverse length of the scrapers. These springs serve to force the scraper members firmly against the reciprocating cutter blade but also permit the Scrapers to yield sufiiciently to enable the blade to pass between the same without binding.

The rotary cutters are also adapted to operate through scraper members which in this case consist of slotted bars 57, one for each cutter and through the Alongitudinal slots of which bars the rotary cutters are adapted to move. These bars are all fastened to a single transverse supporting member 58.

In order to guide the sheet of dough c orrectly toward the cutters, yielding guide members 59 are provided, one on each side of the machine and secured to a single transverse bar 60. The forward ends 6l of these guide lingers are slightly turned outwardly to more readily receive the sheet of dough. In order to gage the front edge of the sheet of dough in respect to the cutters so as to prevent loss of material in cutting, a gage on the frame of the machine is p ro vided consisting of a scale 61 and a sliding pointer 62 mounted on said scale. In the use of this gage as the sheet of material is carried along by the apron, it is adjusted by hand soy that the forward edge will be brought exactly into alinement with the pointer whereby when the movement of the apron is continued the sheet will be carried forward at each successive movement thereof a distance equal exactly to the length of the block to be formed, hence no material will be lost at the initial cut.

Extending to the rear of the machine beyond the delivery end of the conveying apron is a receiving apron 63 mounted on front rollers 64 and rear rollers 65, the front rollers being driven by a sprocket wheel 66, which in turn is driven by a chain 67 connected to a sprocket wheel 68 on the shaft of the rear roller 5 of the main part of the machine. This'apron serves to receive the blocks of cake from the main conveying apron and an operator or operators are adapted to stand adjacent this receiving apron for the purpose of. removing the blocks therefrom and suitably packing them.

Extending longitudinally on each side of the receiving apron are troughs 69 having angularly meeting side walls and supported on brackets 7 0 xed to the angle irons 80 of the frame of the machine. These troughs form convenient means for temporarily holding the blocks of cake as they are removed by the operator from the receiving apron, preliminary to packing or removal.

The operation of the device is as follows The sheet of dough is placed by hand on the apron at the front end of the machine,

and the forward edge of the sheet is gaged with the pointer, which has been set along th'e scale to the distance required from the cutters to determine the length of the block to be cut. As the main shaft 19 is driven,

the eccentric 18 will be turned and operate the pitman 17 which will oscillate the arm 12, which in turn operates the lever 8, thus oscillating the ratchet pawl 7, which in one direction of movement will turn the ratchet wheel 6 and thus move the apron forward a certain distance predetermined by the adjustment of the link 9 and pitman 17 relatively to the arm 12. 1n its opposite move` ment the ratchet pawl will pass freely backward over the teeth of the ratchet wheel, permitting the apron to remain stationary. To cause the ratchet pawl to make a longer throw and thus move the apron a greater distance at each step-by-step movement, either one or both of the screws 11 and 16 are turned so as to carry one or both of the connecting lugs 10 and 16 downward on the arm 12. By providing the double ladjustment a greater length of the arm 12 is obviated and power and material saved. When the apron is stationary the driving connection to the rotary cutters is cut o" and hence they will also remain stationary. During this interval between the movements of the apron and rotary cutters, the crank 45 will operate the links 44 and 43 to turn the shaft 42 and turn the high portions of the cams 41 against the rollers 40 thereby forcing the bar 36 downward and carrying the transverse knife 35 into the sheet of dough and across the .series of longitudinal cuts previously made by the rotary cutters. The rotary cutters and apron being stationary there will be no drag of the cake against the transverse knife and hence a clean cut will be made thereby, and at the exact line determined by the feed of the apron. Owing to the fact that the cams 4l have merely an oscillatory movement on a comparatively short radius and that the sliding block is cushioned by springs, the cams will exert a continuous and uniform pressure against the knife during its descent and ascent thus insuring an easy and quiet movement of the knife, preventing the same from imparting anysudden shock or jar to the aprony or the blocks of cake carried thereby, such as would tend to displace the latter. Preferably the cam has only a quarter movement and since it is mounted above the knife carrier which is carried upward by the return spring, said carrierwill be controlled and checked in its upward movement by `contact against the face of the cam.

As the knife 35 descends it will pass between the scraper members 49, and as the cams are returned to inoperative position and the knife forced upward by the springs 38, the scraper members will serve to prevent the upward withdrawal of the cake blocks by the knife and will clear the blade of any dough adhering thereto, thus insuring a clean cut and the proper separation of the knife and dough.

After passing beyond the transverse knife the blocks are carried to the receiving apron 63 to which they are delivered by the main conveying apron and then removed from said receiving apron by operators, the V- shaped troughs 69 serving as convenient temporary holding means for the blocks durinthe removal operation.

aving thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. 1n a cake cutting machine, in combination with a conveying apron, a vertically reciprocablecutting blade extending transversely of the apron,- flat scraper plates, one mounted on each side of said blade and having the plane thereof inclined upwardly at an angle to the plane of said blade, yielding pressure means for forcing said scraper members against said blade and supports on which said Scrapers are slidably mounted, substantially as described.

2. In a cake cutting machine, in combination with a conveying apron, a vertically reclprocable cutter blade extending transting blade downwardly toward the apron, a support in'which said cam is mounted and means for adjusting said support relatively to the blade for the purpose of obtaining a greater or less degree of throw of said cam,

'substantially as described.

4f. ln a cake cutting machine, in combination with a conveying apron, a vertically reeiprocable cutting blade extending transversely` of said apron, a sliding member in which said blade is mounted, a bracket for said member, a spring interposed between said member and a fixed part of the machine, a roller carried by said member, a cam mounted in said bracket above said roller and adapted to operate the latter, an adjustable block in which said eam is mounted and a spring interposed between said adjustable block and the bracket, substantially as described.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands and seals at ndianapolis, ndiana, this third day of March, A. D. nineteen hundred and fourteen.

EARL S. GABREL. {Le} BE OTS LOMBARD. {ne} Witnesses:

A.. C. RICE,

H. P.. Doomrrnn., 

